Rossini's Donna del
Lago was noteworthy for the participation of Daniela Barcellona
(Malcolm) and Juan Diego Florez (Giacomo), the latter even
surpassing his reputation. Ms. Barcellona sings with total ease,
though she misses the fire of some of her predecessors in this
perilous repertory. Gregory Kunde's Rodrigo lacked ease, but he did
get out all the notes and just about held his own against Florez in
their encounters. Nicola Ulivieri's Douglas shone in his few
opportunities. Unfortunately Brigitte Hahn in the title role lacks
any notion of Rossinian style, the line lacking souplesse, the tone
too cloudy. Riccardo Frizza's matter-of-fact approach did not
encourage the Orchestre National to indulge in subtlety.

Montpellier - 30 JulyOffenbach: Die Rheinnixen

Offenbach's Die
Rheinnixen was finally receiving its world premiere
(performances in 1864 in Vienna at the Hofoperntheater were severely
truncated). This concert offered three and a half hours of music,
plus two intervals; were it to be staged, some judicious cutting
might be in order, but at least we heard what the composer intended.
The music, despite later borrowings from its score for Hoffmann, or
its own borrowings from earlier works, justifies its appellation of
"grand opéra romantique". The work is
through-composed, and there is none of the light relief to which we
are accustomed. The echoes are more of Weber and Mendelssohn, while
the story is a combination ofGiselle (maiden who dies
because she sings, despite her mother's pleas not to) and heroic
patriotism, as symbolized by the oft-repeated Vaterlandlied.
Friedemann Layer and the Orchestre National de Montpellier revelled
in the colourful score, while Regina Schörg as the heroine,
Armgard, who does not die although every one seems to think she has
thrilled us with her powerful high notes while at the same time able
to caress a musical line where necessary. Her mad scene at the end
of Act One had the audience on the edge of their seats. Nora Gubisch
as the mother, Hedwig, was sufficiently emphatic, but the role would
seem to be written more for a cross between Azucena and Fricka.
Piotr Beczala as the amnesiac hero Franz has lots to sing, to most
of which he brought honeyed tone occasionally disfigured by sobs.
Dalibor Jenis as the villain, Conrad, who is brought face to face
with his evil deeds (he has betrayed the mother of his child - one
guess who they are - and will destroy everything in his path towards
armed victory) finally joins the side of the "good". Peter
Klaveness as the faithful Gottfried revealed a nicely-schooled bass
baritone. A final acclamation is due to Jean-Christophe Keck, editor
of the Offenbach Edition Keck published jointly by Boosey and Hawkes
and Bote & Bock, for his labours allowing us to participate in
this discovery of a hitherto unknown Offenbach.